Propertymark: councils need funding to curb scourge of empty homes
The government should release dedicated funding for empty homes officers if it wants to deal with the scourge of houses sitting empty up and down the UK, Propertymark has urged.…
First-time buyers most reliant on mortgages amid rate volatility
First-time buyers face the greatest exposure to volatility in mortgage markets, with 90.5% using financing to purchase homes over the past six months, according to data from comparison website Reallymoving.…
Tax adviser warns housing market needs construction cost action
The UK housing market will remain stagnant without government intervention to address rising construction costs, according to tax and business advisory firm Blick Rothenberg. The firm has warned that the…
Conveyancing platform launches April Fools’ AI product
A Yorkshire-based property technology company has used April Fools’ Day to highlight ongoing frustrations with lengthy sales progression communications in the UK property sector. ASAP, a Pontefract-based outsourced sales progression…
Rightmove faces £1.5bn legal claim over subscription fees
A £1.5 billion legal claim has been filed against Rightmove at the Competition Appeal Tribunal, alleging the property portal abused its market position by charging estate agents excessive subscription fees.…
Lenders becoming more selective about buy-to-let
We are going through a period of caution in the buy-to-let market, where lenders are more selective and landlords are no longer expanding by default. That is according to Alex…
Shared ownership buyers face hidden financial risks
Buyers entering shared ownership schemes face financial risks they often fail to understand, according to a report from the National Audit Office (NAO). The independent watchdog has warned that shared…
Landlord body warns EPC targets face skills shortage
The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has warned that new Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) requirements for rental properties may fail due to an insufficient number of qualified assessors and retrofitting…
House costs pushing key workers out of London
Teachers, nurses and bus drivers are struggling to rent 1-bed apartments in London, campaign group Generation Rent warned. As many as nine types of key worker would fail letting agent…
UK buyer enquiries fall 13% in March as uncertainty bites
Property buyer enquiries in the UK declined 13% year-on-year in March, according to the latest house price index from Zoopla, as rising mortgage rates and economic uncertainty weighed on market…